Danville Loses First Playoff Game, Lynchburg Wins Big In 13, Gilmartin Struggles, And Cornely And Rivera Rack Up Ks In Wednesday's Atlanta Braves Minor League Action

The Danville Braves lost their first game of the playoffs tonight, collecting just 3 hits while getting shutout. Lynchburg won tonight, but so did Wilmington, so the Hillcats remain 2.5 games back with 5 games to go. Regardless of how they finish, the Hillcats won the first half division title and will play in the playoffs starting September 5th. The Rome Braves won, and they have a 4 game lead over Asheville with 6 games left in their season.

Gwinnett Braves 4, Pawtucket Red Sox 9

• Jose Constanza LF 3-4, RBI, SAC, .317 AVG
• Jack Wilson SS 2-4, 2B, RBI, E (2), .197 AVG
• Lyle Overbay 1B 3-5, 2B, RBI, .286 AVG
• Luis Durango CF 2-4, 2 SB (44, 45), .290 AVG
• Sean Gilmartin 4.1 IP, 3 ER, 8 H, 0 BB, 3 K, 4.28 ERA
• Anthony Varvaro 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 K, 2.18 ERA

In his last 10 games, Jose Constanza has hit .341 with .752 OPS, 1 double, 3 RBI, and 8 runs scored. Jack Wilson had 2 hits tonight, and since starting his second rehab stint, he's gone 3-13. Lyle Overbay had a 3 hit night, and while the lefty batter has gone 0-7 with 3 strikeouts against left handed pitchers, he's gone 6-14 with 3 doubles, 3 RBI, and 4 walks against right handed pitchers. Luis Durango has gone 3-7 in his last 2 games, and he set a new career high with his 45th steal of the season. Sean Gilmartin has struggled his last 2 times out, allowing 7 earned runs in 8.1 innings. He's found AAA a bit challenging, putting up a 4.28 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP in 33.2 innings after having a 3.54 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP in 119.1 innings with AA Mississippi. Anthony Varvaro hasn't allowed an earned run in 13.2 innings over 11 appearances in August. Cory Gearrin had his worst appearance of the season, allowing 5 earned runs with out recording an out. He had only allowed 8 earned runs in 53.2 innings this season, and this appearance ballooned his ERA from 1.34 all the way up to 2.18.

Randall Delgado and Julio Teheran will start against the Paw Sox in a Thursday doubleheader.

Mississippi Braves - Off

The M-Braves won't play again until Friday due to Hurricane Isaac.

Lynchburg Hillcats 8, Winston-Salem Dash 5, 13 innings

• Dan Brewer LF 2-6, 2B, .263 AVG
• Nick Ahmed SS 2-5, RBI, BB, .262 AVG
• Tommy La Stella 2B 5-6, 2 2B, 3B, RBI, .297 AVG
• Edward Salcedo 3B 2-6, 2B, HR (15), 2 RBI, .237 AVG
• Myke Jones CF 3-5, 2B, HR (3), 3 RBI, BB, 2 SB (19, 20), .256 AVG
• Dimasther Delgado 6 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 5 K, 3.84 ERA
• Ryne Harper 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 1.91 ERA
• John Cornely 2.1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 BB, 4 K, 0.00 ERA
• Ian Marshall 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 BB, 1 K, W (1), 5.53 ERA
• Blaine Sims 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 K, 4.21 ERA

In the top of the 13th, Tommy La Stella tripled, Adam Milligan walked, Edward Salcedo singled in La Stella, and Myke Jones singled in Milligan and Salcedo to give the Hillcats a 8-5 win in 13 innings. The triple capped off a 5 hit night for La Stella, who has returned from the DL with a vengeance, going 10-12 with 2 doubles, a triple, 2 RBI, and a walk in 4 games since returning. Salcedo had a 2 hit day, including hitting his 15th homer of the year, snapping a 0-19 skid in his last 6 games. Myke Jones had 3 hits and 2 steals, giving him a career high 27 steals for the season after swiping 7 with Mississippi earlier in the year. Dan Brewer broke a 0-9 slump in his last 3 games by going 2-6 with a double today. In his last 4 games, Nick Ahmed has gone 5-15 with a RBI and 2 walks. In his last 3 starts, Dimasther Delgado has struck out 14 while allowing only 2 earned runs in 19 innings. In his last 9 appearances, Ryne Harper has struck out 19 while throwing 15.2 shutout innings. John Cornely has struck out 12 in 6.1 scoreless innings over 3 appearances with Lynchburg. The 23 year old righty has a 14.5 K/9 rate in 57.2 innings between Rome and Lynchburg this season.

Gus Schlosser and his league leading 13 wins will face the Dash on Thursday.

Rome Braves 4, Augusta Greenjackets 3

• Robby Hefflinger DH 1-3, BB, .284 AVG
• Will Skinner RF 1-3, BB, .246 AVG
• Chase Anselment LF 1-1, 3 BB, .218 AVG
• Elmer Reyes S 1-3, RBI, .253 AVG
• David Starn 4 IP, 2 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 2 K, 5.85 ERA
• Wilson Rivera 3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 BB, 3 K, 2.93 ERA

During the month of August, Robby Hefflinger is hitting .326 with a .993 OPS, 9 doubles, 6 homers, and 25 RBI. Chase Anselment had a perfect day at the plate, singling and walking 3 times. In his last 3 games, the 21 year old has gone 4-8 with 3 walks. David Starn has struggled a bit in his first go around as a pro, as the 22 year old righty has posted a 5.85 ERA and a 1.73 WHIP in 32.1 innings over 9 appearances, 7 of them starts. After putting up a 3.97 ERA and a 1.68 WHIP in 22.2 innings before the All-Star break, Wilson Rivera has posted a 2.20 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP in 32.2 innings since the break. The 22 year old, who started pitching last year after playing 4 seasons as an outfielder, is averaging 11.2 K/9 this season.

AJ Holland will start tomorrow's series finale against the Greenjackets.

Danville Braves 0, Elizabethton Twins 4

• Ernesto Silva 6 IP, 4 R, 7 H, 1 BB, 5 K
• Rafael Briceno 2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 B, 3 K
• Clint Wright 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 2 K

Danville dropped the first game of its playoff series, collecting just 2 hits in the process. Ernesto Silva, who only allowed 1 earned run in 7 innings in his final start of the season, allowed 4 earned runs in 6 innings of work tonight. Rafael Briceno and Clint Wright combined to strike out 5 over 3 scoreless relief innings.

The D-Braves will look to even the best of 3 series on Thursday when Mauricio Cabrera will face the E-Twins.